Founding Documents: The Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution
Students will:
• Understand the historical context and significance of the Magna Carta’s creation
• Read short selections from the document and express the ideas it contains in their own words
• Assessment: Identify at least three differences between the governments of England in 1215 and
the United States in the 21st century
• Assessment: Match four ideas originally found in the Magna Carta with parallel passages from
the founding documents of the United States
Time Requirement:
45-60 minutes
Supplies:
Quote Comparisons: the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution worksheets (one per student, included)
Guided Discussion:
1. Hand out England, 1215 worksheet (included) and have students read on their own. Allow time
for questions about unfamiliar ideas or terminology.
2. Reiterate that the Magna Carta was a significant document because it placed limits on the
power of the king or ruler.
3. What documents limit the power of our government leaders? Consider not only national-level
documents, but also state constitutions, etc. Explain that many of the ideas in the Magna Carta
were repeated more than 550 years later in the Declaration of Independence, the United States
Constitution, and state constitutions.
Classroom Activity:
1. Hand out Quote Comparison activity (included) and have students match quotes from the
Magna Carta to significant founding documents in the United States. Give students time to
complete, then review the correct answers. Unfamiliar terminology is clarified on the
worksheet, but students (particularly younger students) may need additional guidance and
explanation.
2. Note that most of the rights outlined in the Magna Carta only applied to the landholding
nobility, a small percentage of England’s total population. Other rights are extended to
“freemen,” but this still left out a significant portion of the population. Who would be left out?
Consider the American founding documents. Who (at least initially) was not included?
3. Pretend that that they have gone back in time and are living at the passage of either the Magna
Carta or the U.S. Constitution.
Extension Activities:
•
•
Have students pretend they have traveled back in time and are living at the passage of either
the Magna Carta or the U.S. Constitution. Ask them to write a “letter to the editor” explaining
what they do and/or do not like about the document in question. Are they generally in favor of
it or not?
Choose either the U.S. Constitution or the Magna Carta to study. Divide the class into two
groups, one in favor of the document, the other opposed. Have students research why people,
at the time, may have been for or against it. Consider the points of view of those who are in
power, and those who are (or who are not) included. Have students campaign and stage a
debate, then vote. Were any minds changed?
Missouri Grade Level Expectations (GLEs):
Communication Arts - Reading
1. Develop and apply skills and strategies to the reading process
3. Develop and apply skills and strategies to comprehend, analyze and evaluate nonfiction from a
variety of culture and times
Communication Arts - Writing
1. Apply a writing process in composing text
2. Compose well-developed text (optional; for older students)
Communication Arts – Listening and Speaking
1. Develop and apply effective listening skills and strategies
Social Studies
1. Knowledge of the principles expressed in documents shaping constitutional democracy in the
United States
2. Knowledge of principles and processes of governance systems
3b. Knowledge of continuity and change in the history of the world
6. Knowledge of relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
Quote Comparisons: the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution
England, 1215
Under the reign of King John, England is faced with high taxes, a series of unsuccessful wars, and
religious conflict with the Pope. Unhappy with the state of the country, a group of wealthy noblemen
called barons rebel against the king. The king and barons battle throughout the first half of the year to
determine who will gain the upper hand. Finally, in June 1215, after six months of fighting, the victorious
nobles force King John to sign an agreement that will eventually become known as the Magna Carta, or
“Great Charter” in Latin.
The new document addresses many complaints that the barons have with the king. Before this time, the
king was thought to hold absolute power; however, the Magna Carta puts limits on royal power and lists
the rights of the barons and of all free men.
If you think this story sounds familiar, it probably is. Over 550 years later, a group of American colonists
declared their independence from Great Britain when they felt King George III was infringing on their
rights. In fact, many of the ideas in the founding documents of American government—the Declaration
of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and state constitutions—were directly inspired by the principles
laid out in the Magna Carta.
Below are four quotes from the U.S. Constitution that are directly related to parts of the Magna Carta. On the table
on the next page, match the quotes from the U.S. Constitution with the quotes from the Magna Carta. In the middle
column, write each quote from the Magna Carta in your own words. A glossary is provided to help with unfamiliar
terms.
Quotes from the U.S. Constitution
Article 1, Section 8: “The Congress shall have
Power To lay and collect
Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the
Debts and provide for the common Defence and
general Welfare of the United States…”
Amendment 5: “…nor shall private property be
taken for public use, without just compensation.”
Article 2, Section 3: “The Trial of all Crimes, except
in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury.”
Amendment 6: “In all criminal prosecutions, the
accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted
with the witnesses against him…”
Quote from the Magna Carta
12. “No scutage nor aid…shall be
imposed on our kingdom, unless by
common counsel of our kingdom…”
28. “No constable or other bailiff
…shall take corn or other provisions
from anyone without immediately
tendering money …”
38. “…no official shall place a man
on trial upon his own unsupported
statement, without producing
credible witnesses to the truth of
it.”
39. “No freemen shall be taken or
imprisoned…or exiled or in any way
destroyed…except by the lawful
judgment of his peers or by the law
of the land.”
Glossary
Aid: tax
Compensation: repayment
Counsel: agreement
Credible: trustworthy or reliable
“Duties, Imposts and Excises”: types of taxes
Freemen: men who are not slaves or serfs
Scutage: a type of tax
Tendering: paying [the owner]
What does it mean?
Related Quote from the U.S.
Constitution